Underworld, Apocalypse
by Kaidoh Amid-modem
Summary: An evil creature is about to rise and it is said that It will bring the biblical "End of The World". What could Selene and Michael do in order to protect the one they treasure most? Is there any hope left for humanity after all? Let's find out...
1. Chapter 1

Author's note: Hi everyone! It's time for me to write about this incredible science fiction story called "Underworld". I already saw the trilogy and really want them to do a sequel of Evolution, but in the meantime let me introduce you my new fanfic… in English! I hope not to make many mistakes with grammar and stuff. Well, finally, I must say that the main characters are Selene and Michael C., not a creation of mine in deed. The rest of the "cast" belongs to my own imagination though. I hope you like it then! Best wishes!

And here it is…

Chapter 1: The creature in the mirror.

It was a cold and dark night. There was no movement in the shadows, except for the waving of the branches of trees outside de Castle. Inside the fortress, lord and servant argued intensely since sunset. The subject of discussion: something to do with the destiny of the world…

"Your incompetence knows no limits! Search again until you find _it_!" the vampire lord shouted, striking a round table with one fist. He was a skinny young man, dressed in the old fashion of the Renaissance. His dark long hair made a strong contrast with his extremely white skin, and his eyes were red like rubies.

"But… but, master" the old servant stammered afraid of his lord. "The mirror doesn't show anything concrete… I mean, it's all blurry here"

Out of patience, the vampire approached his servant from behind, showing his sharp and long fangs. However, when he was about to bite his wrinkled and old neck, the man seemed to have found something in the precious object he was holding. His odd expression said it all.

"Finally, the mirror… is trying to say something" the servant said in a low voice, astonished.

"What does it say, Seamus?" the master wanted to know, his red eyes glowing in excitement.

"There's the image of a creature, my lord" the servant continued. "It might be _the one_…"

Suddenly, the vampire went crazy and held the old Seamus by the clothes in a very violent way.

"Where?" he shouted, spiting out his saliva over his servant's face.

"Not far away from here… it seems" he answered, wiping out his face with the sleeve of his robe.

"Bring _it _to me then!" the vampire shouted again, shaking the poor man. "Bring _it_ to me right away!"

"But, the prophecy, my lord…"

"Yes, the prophecy!" the vampire screamed again. "That's precisely why I'm sending you, moron! Now, go!"

"Yes, master…" Seamus replied, being released immediately. He straightened his clothes up and when he was about to leave, he turned to his lord, as if he had forgotten something important.

"You can take Raphael and the others with you" the dark lord said, reading his servant's thoughts easily. "You will make good use of them"

Seamus nodded. He would do anything in the world to please his master, not precisely because he loved him so much, but because he wanted to protect his own life.

To be continued…


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Child's visions

In the country house, most of the activity took place in daylight now that daylight was permitted. But that was a long time ago. Still she would never forget it… the day that she had been born again to the light, as an evolved being. The world was suddenly a safe place. Now she had something to protect, and people who needed her. There was only one thing that troubled her at night, and she was not sure about how to deal with it.

"Mommy! Mommy!" a little voice shouted in fear, in the middle of the dark. "It's coming, it's coming!"

Selene jumped out of the bed, instinctively, and rushed to the boy's bedroom.

"Nobody's coming, my love" Selene said, running to the kid to hold him tight, stroking his black little ringlets with her fingers. "Everything's okay"

"What is it?" Michael asked from the door, wearing just a pair of pants. "That nightmare again, uh?" he sighed.

"The monster… the monster in the woods" the child sobbed, grabbing her mom's nightshirt very tightly. "It's coming for me"

"No, Eric. There's only mom and dad here with you" Michael said, sitting next to him in the bed, holding his hand. "Nobody's going to harm you"

"But… but, I saw it coming…" the child stammered, falling asleep again while holding his dad's hand. Selene looked at his sweet little face with tenderness and then let go of him gently. Her eyes now had a different expression.

"What's wrong?" Michael asked, softly. He knew that expression very well. She was worried, troubled with something, and he was afraid he knew what was it about. "Is it the nightmares, isn't it?"

"Not nightmares, but visions" she said very certain, and then left the bedroom.

When Michael went back to their own, he saw Selene dressed with her usual outfit, the one she used to wear in the old times. She was loading her guns and putting some ammunition in her leather jacket's pockets.

"You're going again?" Michael asked, disconcerted.

"Yes. I need to be sure" she answered, ready to go.

"Selene" Michael whispered, grabbing her arm. "You don't need to do this anymore. Eric's 6, it's probably a normal thing for a kid…"

"Michael, I have a feeling" she said, looking straight into his eyes. "I know Eric's visions mean something"

Michael sighed. He realized that he couldn't go against Selene's will. She was so determined about the whole thing…

"Stay with him, will you?" she kissed Michael in the lips and then moved away.

"Just… take care, okay?" Michael smiled and, turning her back to him, Selene closed the door behind her and left the house.

And then she stepped once again into the woods.

To be continued…


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Massacre

_After __a thousand years had passed, The Creature shall be unleashed and will destroy everything around, sinking The World into Hell and causing the extinction of a whole race…_

Those were the words of the prophecy. A prophecy Lord Edward knew very well and longed for its realization. As the last elder alive, he was confined in the castle in the French Alps, in order to protect his precious existence. There were still death dealers outside, people who had been loyal to vampires and become vampires themselves in most of cases. Only one human remained faithful to him and it was his servant Seamus, an old priest and sorcerer who had been able to fight disease and dead with his rare powers. Though Seamus was not an immortal, he seemed to be as eternal as his master. But only one mistake and he surely would be finished forever…

"Are you sure this is the place?" Seamus asked to one of the team. They had just come down in helicopter to a thick foliage in the middle of nowhere.

"Yes, my lord. This is definitely the exact location"

"The radar indicates that direction" Raphael, the leader of the vampire team, said, showing the path ahead.

"Then go!" old Seamus ordered him, and every vampire in the group followed their chief. "And do not come back until you find _it_, understood?"

"And you, my lord?" one of the others asked. "You're staying here by yourself?"

Seamus frowned at the vampire and then sat down on a large rock very carefully.

"Just do your job!" he said, firmly. "And tell Raphael he must bring _the creature_ unharmed!"

The vampire nodded and rushed right in time to step into the woods along with his deadly comrades.

It was almost dawn and Seamus started to get exasperated because none of his subordinates… well, Edward's subordinates, had come back. Then, suddenly, a sharp scream came from the heart of the foliage, where the team was supposed to be. Afterwards, another scream and the scent of blood… a lot of blood. Leaving his spot with difficulty, Seamus headed to the place trying not to stumble and fall. The foliage was so thick he could hardly see his feet while running. And later, when he finally got there, he found himself in the middle of a massacre.

"What in the name of… is happening here?" he stammered, in horror, watching a bunch of bloody corpses lying here and there. They belonged to the vampires who had come with him.

"Tell your men to retreat!" a woman's voice said, in a fierce tone, standing right behind him and getting hold of him by the neck.

"Who are you?" the old man asked in fear, unable to move. "Someone sent you?"

"Your men, they were trying to get into my house. Why?"

"They are… in a quest…" he stammered again, sweating cold. "Please, don't kill me!" he pleaded.

"Don't try to come back here!" she commanded, releasing the poor elderly. "I will certainly not have mercy on your vampires again" the woman in the black outfit put her weapon away and wiped the blood from her face.

"You… will let me go?" Seamus asked her, and his voice trembled. The woman didn't answer, but when the old man took a grip on himself and started to walk away, she spoke some words to him.

"Tell those vampires of yours that if they want to keep their lives they better not mess with Selene"

And then the mysterious woman disappeared, leaving Seamus surrounded by dead bodies.

It was already dawn when the old man returned to the helicopter.

To be continued…


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: In the woods

Michael slept peacefully beside his son when Selene came back from the woods.

"Michael, Michael" she whispered, shaking him gently to wake him up.

"What… Selene?" he said, still sleepy. It was early morning.

"Come with me" Selene said, in a low voice. "I want to show you something"

Michael nodded, getting up very slowly from the bed, placing Eric's teddy bear next to him. He put on a t-shirt and then followed Selene all the way outside the house, passing the front door and going deeper into de woods.

"Where are you taking me, Selene?" he asked, confused, as he walked behind her.

"Wait and see" she answered, lighting a lantern. They walked for a little while till they got to what it seemed to be the core and in that spot Selene pointed the lantern to the ground's direction. The foliage was very dense and Michael could hardly see his own feet.

"What's that?" Michael said, getting closer to the ground. He thought he had seen something through all that vegetation.

"You mean this?" Selene said kicking a heavy bulge on the floor and exposing a dead body covered in blood.

Michael stepped back in astonishment.

"There are more corpses over there" Selene continued, pointing in a different direction.

"Who are they, I mean, were they?" Michael asked, moving around, exploring the field.

"Regular vampires, not too strong at all"

"That's weird. We haven't heard of them in years" he said, stroking his chin. "What did they want?"

"I'm not certain, but I think they were coming for us"

"Why do you say that?" he asked, a little confused.

"Because I caught them trying to get into the house… Michael, somebody knows we're here" she said, moving towards him.

"That's impossible. We just disappeared, without a trace"

"I know! But somehow, they found out"

"Do you think they know about Viktor and Markus, and the rest?"

"Probably" Selene answered, feeling a pressure in her chest. "And I don't like this a bit"

"They're coming back, aren't they?"

Selene nodded. "Tonight most likely"

"You're right" Michael said, taking her hand. "We must be prepared then"

Selene looked straight into his eyes, determined. "I won't let them disturb our lives, Michael… Not anymore"

To be continued…


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Prelude to a disaster

It was a new day and Lord Edward was all alone in the hall when he saw his loyal servant coming back to him in the company of Raphael, the only vampire survivor of the massacre.

"Have you brought _it_?" Edward asked, without even noticing the other's presence.

"There were… some complications, my lord" Seamus doubted, avoiding his master's terrifying eyes.

"Complications, you say?"

"Yes, master" Seamus lowered his head, in shame. "A terrible incident"

"Everybody died, my lord!" Raphael intervened, in desperation. He had his clothes covered in blood and his face scratched. "I made it to escape, but the rest of us… the rest of us…"

"Seamus, what the hell is he talking about?!" Edward asked again, getting exasperated. Raphael had started to whimper and the old man seemed to be petrified and speechless before him.

"You see… my lord, I think we were ambushed" Seamus said finally, afraid of his master's reaction. This feeling of having death over him all the time was nothing funny.

"She's the devil, she's the devil!" Raphael shouted, grabbing his head with both hands. "She murdered them all!"

Edward frowned posing his fierce eyes over the old servant, demanding a further explanation.

"It was a woman, my lord… a vampire woman" Seamus continued, swallowing saliva. "She threatened to kill us if we dared to come back"

Edward roared with laughter. "So you're saying a woman did this? You've got to be kidding me" he laughed again, arms crossed.

"She's very strong, my lord!" the other vampire kept saying. "She's not a common vampire at all!"

"Do you expect me to believe that a single vampire woman finished all my men off? Stop playing games!"

"No, master… Raphael is right" Seamus said, putting his wrinkled hand over Raphael's shoulder. "She massacred the men in a blink of an eye. She said her name was Selene"

"Selene?" Edward asked, with a thoughtful expression upon his face. "The death dealer?"

"I don't know" the old man answered, noticing his master's strange reaction. "Maybe… someone you've met before?"

"One of Viktor's subordinates…" the vampire murmured, as if he were speaking just to himself.

"You mean Viktor, the elder?" Seamus dared to ask, intrigued. This story was getting more and more interesting.

"But Viktor is dead, isn't he? So what's the point?" Edward continued to speak to himself, moving around in circles.

"My lord, if I must say, I think she was guarding _the creature_?" Raphael said suddenly, interrupting Edward's meditation.

"Why do you say that?" the vampire asked, interested. This piece of information was brand new.

"Because she knew where we were heading to"

"Now that you mention it, she told me that our men were trying to get into _her_ house…" Seamus said, with his eyes wide open.

"See? It has to be that!" Raphael said, passionately. "She is protecting _the creature_!"

"That makes sense…" Edward stated, giving a hint of a dark smile.

"So what are your orders, master?" Seamus asked, making a reverence.

"If this Selene is the guardian of _the creature_, she will have to die. I won't let anyone to interfere with my plans!" the vampire said with a terrorizing tone, and then, turning to his servant,

"Tonight will be the night, Seamus. It's time to claim my reward…"

"Yes, sir, leave everything to me"

To be continued…


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Creature of Hell

"Mommy, I'm not cold!" Eric complained. Selene was wrapping him up warm with a coat and a scarf.

"Stay still, my love" Selene told him, while kneeling on the floor. "We're probably going out tonight"

"We're going out?" the child asked, with eyes wide open.

Selene smiled to him very tenderly.

"Look at you! What a handsome guy" she teased him, stroking his white and soft cheek.

"That's because I look like my dad, don't I?" Eric said, playful. He loved to see his mom blushing.

"Did I hear my name?" Michael asked, walking into the room. He was wearing a leather jacket, a black t-shirt and a pair of jeans. Just the usual, but he still looked very handsome. "Wow! Look at you, so fancy!"

Eric gave him a big smile. He was so happy because he was going out with both of them… Usually, when Selene was "chasing the bad guys", Michael stayed at home with him. And when dad had to work at the hospital, mommy took care of him all the time. He was so lucky to have them. They were the ones he treasured most.

"Everything's alright?" Selene asked Michael, standing up from the floor.

"Mommy said we were going out tonight!" little Eric exclaimed, holding to Selene's leg.

"Not a bad idea at all" Michael answered, caressing the boy's dark hair. He looked in deed very much like him, except for the nose and the hair. Those features were Selene's.

"Have you done your homework yet?"

"Yes, mom" Eric answered. "Can I watch some television now?"

"Just for an hour, ok?" she said, seeing her son heading to the stairs.

"Ok" the little one said and then rushed to the second flat.

"As soon as you hear something, go for Eric" Selene said to Michael when they were alone. "It's dangerous to leave him here all by himself"

Michael gave her a look of confidence.

"Everything's going to be alright, Selene"

So they stayed in the room until their worst nightmare finally came true…

"Did you feel that?" Michael asked, standing still. It was the sound of helicopters not far from there.

"It's them" Selene muttered, loading her guns. "Go for Eric!"

Michael went for the boy and Selene moved very smoothly towards the porch, always aiming to the front with her guns. She could see nothing outside but there was definitely something approaching, from the woods.

"Dad, where are we going?" Eric asked while being carried by Michael.

"I'll tell you later, but now we need to be quiet, ok?"

"Ok" the little one whispered, holding his teddy bear against him. To that toy he was extremely attached and never left it behind, not even once. 'Yogi' was his eternal companion.

"Should we go there?" Michael asked, reaching Selene outside.

"No. We better wait for them here"

Then another striking noise came from the distance, as if an army was approaching with heavy infantry and fully equipped. As the footsteps got nearer and nearer, Selene instinctively moved back protecting the other two with her body. She remained firmly, sharpening her senses until she finally witnessed with horror that a crowd of black-suited and well armed guys was breaking through her property, destroying everything they touched. A tall and skinny man followed them; it was evident that he was a vampire with his bright red eyes and pale skin, and obviously his flamboyant outfit.

"Selene, I presume" the vampire said, making himself way among his soldiers. "Are you still under Viktor's orders?"

"Viktor?" she startled. Was it possible that this creature had no idea of what had happened to the elders? "Viktor… is dead" Selene hesitated. "I killed him"

"You killed him? So… that was why I couldn't feel his incompetence anymore…"

Selene looked at him but said nothing.

"What do you know about Viktor?" Michael intervened, with Eric holding his hand tightly.

"Well, well. What do we have here?" the pale and skinny man said, inspecting Michael very carefully. "You are one of a kind, aren't you?"

"Why don't you just answer the question?" Michael asked again, now in a higher voice.

"So, Selene… if you did that to Viktor, then you have must done the same to Marcus or William since none of them are here today" the vampire kept saying, ignoring Michael. "Am I right?"

"Yes" she reluctantly answered. "They were a menace to human kind"

"Human kind you say?" the man laughed. "Why should a vampire care about humans?"

"Stop it already!" Michael shouted, really angry. "We've done nothing to you, so why don't you just leave us alone and go back from where you came?"

"I can't do that, my extraordinary friend" the vampire calmly answered. "You see, you guys have something that belongs to me"

"What are you talking about?" Selene asked, placing her finger in the trigger.

"Those weapons of yours won't cause me any harm"

"We owe you nothing, you bastard!" Michael finally exploded, and his eyes suddenly turned completely black. "Eric, go back to the house" he said to the boy without even looking at him. If there was going to be a battle, it wasn't the right thing for a child to witness.

"But, dad…"

"Go back, Eric!" Selene commanded, ready to fight as well.

"Not so fast" the vampire moved closer, fixing the child with a stony gaze. "I never thought you were so young…"

"Don't you DARE lay a finger on him, you hear me?!"

"My servant Seamus tells me that you guard this… boy. Isn't it true, Selene?"

"What the HELL are you talking about?!" Michael asked, with his sharp nails prepared.

"That's exactly what I'm talking about: Hell" answered the vampire "This _creature_ is bound to me for the rest of its life" he said, looking at the boy. "The Dark Lord promised me… he promised he would give me the eternal glory…"

"You're saying nonsense!" Selene yelled, shielding her little son from the pale monster. "Who the hell are you?!"

"I'm glad that you ask" the vampire replied, clearing his voice. "My name is Edward Corvinus. I'm the illegitimate son of Alexander Corvinus. William and Marcus are… were my half-brothers, you see"

"What?" Michael exclaimed, approaching slowly to Selene and Eric.

"When Marcus learned about my existence I was already a man, so he hunted me and then bit me and… and turned me" the vampire, Edward, kept saying very calmly. "Of course he thought he had killed me, but I survived and since that day I am what I am… a vampire. Then I had to hide and, in the solitude of my secret hideout, I invoked the forces of evil; I made a pact with the Dark Lord in order to get my revenge from the Corvinus Clan. The Devil guaranteed me victory and eternal glory if I remained in the shadows for a thousand years, and that's what I've done until today. But now it's time to claim my reward: this powerful _creature _will ensure my glorious conquest over humanity… The prophecy has been fulfilled"

"Eric is not your _creature_" Selene said firmly. "Can't you see he's only a child?!"

"Is he?" Edward then made an incredible fast movement and grabbed Selene by the neck, squeezing it with his big and skinny hand. Although Michael tried to help her, he was stopped by the vampire's soldiers. They were strong men, stronger than the ones that had come the night before.

"Mommy! Daddy!" Eric yelled in horror seeing how his parents were being tortured in front of his innocent eyes.

"Eric, run!" Selene tried to say, chocking. This vampire was an elder, and as such he had the same strength than his half-brothers, or even more. The difference was subtle, but obvious.

"The time has come, Selene" Edward sentenced, thrusting his sharp nails into the skin of her neck. "You will interfere in my plans no more…"

Edward had not finished the sentence yet when a terrible scream resounded in every corner. More than a scream, it was a profound roar, like the roars of a lion and a thunder together. The dark sky turned suddenly red, looking like a large sea of blood.

"_It_ has come to life… finally!" Edward yelled in ecstasy while everybody fixed their eyes on the child; he was dramatically changing and his screams were unbearable.

"ERIC!" Michael threw himself against the crowd, struggling with all his strength but it was futile. He could feel the loss of his own energy, as if someone was sucking up his blood.

Edward roared with laughter, kicking Selene on the floor.

"Look at him! He's beautiful now, isn't he?"

With a lot of effort, Selene turned her head in Eric's direction and she was petrified by the horrible vision before her: it was not her little boy anymore, but a monstrous creature of hell, with features of a dragon and a tail of a lion; it had claws instead of fingernails and it was almost 20 feet tall; its forked tongue was purple, viscous and extremely long.

"What have you done to my son?!" Selene cried, in pain. "What did you do to Eric?"

"The blood of Corvinus runs through your veins too" Edward said. "You must die for this, as well as that other creature of yours"

" I'll kill you, bastard!" she shouted, trying to get on her feet.

"I don't think so…" the vampire replied, revealing a rare bracelet around his wrist, made of stone and gold. When he aimed the object at the monster a red light began to flicker, forcing the creature to follow his murderous orders. "Say goodbye to mommy, Eric!"

"NO! SELENE!" Michael got in the way, protecting Selene with his own body and receiving the worst damage ever; to kill Selene, the creature had shaken its monstrous tongue and poisoned Michael instead.

"MICHAEL!" Selene held him in his arms, seeing how his soul tried to leave his body. "No, Michael! Don't do this to me again!"

"He's been poisoned. He'll die soon" Edward said, restraining the creature with the power of his rare object.

"Give me the antidote!" Selene commanded, but the vampire laughed at her.

"What makes you think I would do that? As far as I know, there's no antidote for this. Don't you see this is the Devil's work? You can't go against the Dark Lord"

"You bastard…"

"Don't worry, Selene. You will follow your lover very soon" he laughed noisily. "And now, you must excuse me. I have many other affairs to deal with"

Now the light of the mysterious bracelet turned the creature into the little Eric again. He had fallen asleep, naked, in Edward's arms.

The vampire was right. There was nothing she could do to stop him. She couldn't bear the simple thought of her son turning into that… thing. When he retired in the company of his lethal soldiers, Selene realized that she had reached a dead end. In order to kill the vampire, she had to get rid of the creature first, but she just couldn't do that. How in the world could she kill her own son?!

"Michael… Michael!" Selene called Michael' name in desperation, but he didn't respond. She called him many times, crying over his chest, feeling destroyed and helpless…

_I'll save you both… I don't know how, but I swear I will! _She said to herself, just before fainting.

To be continued…


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: The Sacred Battle

It was so lonely, so dark and cold in that enormous castle of Edward Corvinus', a place full of life in ancient times and now in such a bad condition. The dusty furniture, old and damaged, the empty hall surrounded by peeled walls and the threadbare floor all represented the decadence of present days. The dripping of water was the only sound echoing in the dungeons beneath the surface, except for the cries of a child.

"Where are my clothes? These… are ugly!" sobbed Eric as he pulled at the silky Victorian shirt he was forced to wear. It had a high neck and clearly wasn't his size. For him, it was just a gigantic dress.

"Hey! It was the only thing I found in the wardrobe!" exclaimed the vampire Raphael as he looked at the boy through the bars of a rusty cage. "So just keep it and be quiet"

"It's girl's stuff! Look at these sleeves!" Eric flapped his arms.

"It's not! And stop doing that!"

"Raphael!" scolded old Seamus. "Leave the boy alone. Master will be here any minute"

Raphael sighed and moved away.

"And where is Yogi? He must be scared... and mommy and daddy? I want to see them"

"I'm afraid that's not possible, boy" said Seamus. "My master Edward has already got rid of them"

"You're lying!" replied Eric with tears in his eyes. "That can't be true!"

"Is everything all right?" asked Edward as he arrived in the company of two mysterious men. They looked like elves with their silver long hair and bright white outfits.

"We kneel at your feet, _Erus Belial!" _they bowed ceremoniously to Eric. "_He is so young_" observed one of them in a language the boy couldn't understand. The other long-haired nodded in agreement.

"Everything is all right, Master. Just as you desire" Seamus reported.

"Good job, Seamus. I'll reward you later. And now, what do we have here?" the vampire smiled as he approached to Eric's cell. "Do you like my hospitality?"

"You're horrible! I want to go home!"

"Watch your mouth, little one!" Seamus exclaimed in anger "You're talking to Master here!"

"Leave him alone. He's his mother's child after all" the vampire replied carelessly.

"This place is not appropriate for Lord _Belial_" said one of the mysterious men.

"Why do you have Him here?" asked the other.

"There was no other way" answered the vampire as he put his hands together. "It was too dangerous otherwise, believe me gentlemen…"

There was full moon outside. How many days had it been since the monstrous awakening had happened? Maybe two days, or three… Actually, Selene was so dazed that she felt as if losing her mind trying to find out how to mend the situation and, most of all, how to bring her child back. Certainly, she had to act quickly if she wanted to save Michael's life. She must find Tanis, the only one who she believed could help them at such a time. She was lost in thought when Michael woke up at her side in the co-driver seat.

"Where… are we?" he muttered half asleep, half awake. The poison in his veins was somehow like a tranquilizing drug.

"Don't worry. We'll get to Tanis' very soon"

"Tanis'? Why?" He didn't even feel the pain of his wound.

"You've been poisoned, Michael" said Selene as she accelerated. "We've been travelling for three days and Tanis might be the only one who knows the antidote"

"Eric!" he exclaimed out of nowhere. "The beast… what the hell was that?!"

Selene doubted. Not even she was certain of what have happened.

"He's been taken by that vampire Edward. He said Eric was his prize, the creature the devil had promised him a thousand years ago"

"That's nonsense! He's just… a boy!"

"I don't know how to explain it either! But that's what he said, you heard him yourself" she was saying when realized Michael had fallen asleep again. "Michael! Stay with me!" It was useless though.

It was a long way to Tanis' place. Selene assumed he still lived in the old mansion, guarded by lycans in the past. There was a possibility that Markus had paid him a visit after she last saw him, but she rather not think about that. In the end, Tanis was her only hope.

When they finally reached the gates, Selene took Michael with her and slowly walked towards the front door. It was completely shut. She tried the lateral doors until she managed to enter the mansion.

"Tanis?!" she asked several times as she walk through the damaged corridor, holding Michael. "Tanis, are you here?"

"I'm afraid Tanis is not at home" a voice answered from the inside. It was a male voice she couldn't recognize.

"Who are you?"

"A friend" the man answered very gently. He was not a vampire, nor a lycan, but a human… or it seemed so. "I've been expecting for you, Selene"

"How is that you know my name?"

"Relax. I don't mean to harm you. I told you I'm a friend. Please…" he gestured and pointed at the couch. "Let him rest or his wound will get worse otherwise"

Selene looked at him in confusion. How come he knew about them? She put Michael in the couch and stepped back.

"So, it has already started…" said the man as he took a seat. "_The creature_ has been unleashed"

"You know something about the creature?!"

"I'll tell you about it. But first, you must know your friend Tanis has been assassinated by Markus"

"I feared so" she sighed. "So everything is in vain…"

"You came here looking for answers, didn't you? I can help. And I'll treat Michael's wound as well, if you let me"

Selene doubted him "Who are you really?"

"My name is Gabriel. I'm just a visionary" he smiled.

Selene was very confused but intrigued at the same time. However, there was no time to be suspicious.

"I have no choice but to trust you"

"You'll be fine" said Gabriel as he grabbed a book from one shelf. "Now, let's start from the beginning: I'll tell you everything you need to know about _The Sacred Battle_"

"_The Sacred Battle_?" Selene took a seat next to Michael, who was still under the poison's tranquilizing effects. She didn't know what the man named Gabriel was talking about, but yet she yearned to get some valuable information.

"Have you ever heard about _Armaggedon_, Selene?"

"It's supposed to be the place of the 'final battle' in the Bible, isn't it?"

"Well, yes" Gabriel nodded as he glanced through the book. "It's just that this site is not in Earth as everybody thinks. It's actually in Heaven"

"Are you saying Heaven exists after all?" she smiled bitterly. "I've never believed in such a thing"

"You must if you want to figure this out" Gabriel seriously said, stopping at a particular page. "It is a fact that _Armagdgeon,_ or The Sacred Battle if you rather say, takes place in Heaven every thousand years; that means that Apocalypse as we know it is not a future event happening at the end of times, but a cyclic phenomenon in direct relation with human kind"

"You say the Bible lies?"

"I wouldn't say that, but there is some vagueness in John's Gospel" he said. "Anyway, let me see… here it is!" he continued reading "Word for word, it says that _'the Ultimate Battle at the Sacred Place should not suffer any disturbance and shall happen every thousand years as it follows: after the Seven Seals are broken and the Earth is plunged into darkness, the Angel of God will lock the Beast up with the Key of the Abyss and will seal the Beast until it's been one thousand years. But then the Beast must be unleashed just for a while until God's messengers throw it back into a lake of fire and sulfur…' _ The Bible mentions some of this, but there are many other sources offering a different point of view, just like this old book"

"So, a battle on Heaven that harms human kind" she said as she caressed Michael's hair. "It doesn't seem right to me"

"I'm afraid only God knows whether it is right or wrong, Selene" Gabriel replied and grabbed another book from the shelf. "The fact that every thousand years a new cycle begins on Earth is irrefutable; a period of relative peace, for the Beast is still locked up in its temporary prison. Certainly human kind won't ever be aware of this truth"

"Then what's the relationship between that beast and my son?"

"He's just a host, a body the creature has chosen for a particular reason" answered Gabriel "Naturally, the visions Eric had before were a kind of warning. Now, Selene, you must know that this being is no longer your son"

"I refuse to believe that bullshit!"

"Are we… there yet?" stammered Michael as he woke up.

Selene nodded with tears in her eyes.

"Why are you crying?"

"Nothing, don't pay attention. You're safe now, Michael"

"Selene, you must listen to me. Both of you must!" Gabriel interrupted. "A thousand years ago, when the last Sacred Battle was held, Edward Corvinus made a pact with de Devil in which the latter offered him eternal power through the Beast in exchange of his soul. Edward thought it was a fair trade, but the demon had something else in mind: He would trick the universal order of things by hiding the Beast in a human body, so next time the Angel of God could never find it and lock it up again. He needs not any human but a Corvinus' descendant, since only Edward's bloodline could seal the pact. You two are already infected by immortality, moreover, it was Eric the one born at this time of darkness and despair. He's innocent and incorruptible. Just what the Dark Lord desired"

"Tell me how to save my son!"

"I already told you. You can't save him, Selene"

"Liar! You're… lying" she sobbed.

"There must be… a way" muttered Michael, still dazed. "To bring Eric back…"

Gabriel took his time and then sighed.

"There is one, but it's almost impossible"

"What is it? I'll do anything!" she exclaimed.

"Well, there is someone who might know a way to deal with the Beast, but nobody has ever been in his presence before"

"I won't hurt my own child"

"You have to defeat the Beast in order to destroy the vampire. Only by killing Edward the order of things will be restored"

"However, Eric won't allow anyone to get close to his master" said Michael

"That's why you must kill the Beast first" replied Gabriel.

"What about the antidote for Michael's wound? Do you have it here?"

"Yes Selene. I was about to tell you" he opened the book he had been holding for a while. "All the ingredients are pointed out here. I'll just have to search for them to prepare the potion. This should at least cure his dizziness"

"I thought you said you could heal the wound?" said Michael as he began to feel dizzy again.

"There is only one way to heal your wound completely, and it is by killing _the creature_"

"Stop saying that! Now, tell me the whereabouts of that someone you mentioned before" said Selene firmly.

"His name is _Baphomet_. You can find him for sure at the top of Mount Bernon where his shrine is"

"Is he a priest?"

"Sort of"

"You have to give me some directions" Selene said. "I'm kind of lost"

"That is why my good friend Leonard will go with you" Gabriel said as he made way to the man in question.

"A lycan?" muttered Selene at the vision of the werewolf.

"In deed my child. He'll lead you there"

"I'm at your disposition" the lycan bowed his head.

"And what about me?" asked Michael. "I must take the potion soon, mustn't I?"

"You'll stay here and wait for Selene"

The couple shared looks of suspicion, but they really didn't have any choice.

"It's all right. We'll do as you say" she said.

"Come back soon, will you?" Michael whispered in her ear.

"Yes, love" she replied and walked towards the outside along with Leonard, his lycan companion.

"May God be with you Selene" _Because I've already done my part. _Gabriel said to himself as he saw her disappearing from his sight.

_For i__t was my duty to give you His Message_.

To be continued…


End file.
